Toward the Atomic Structure of PrPSc
Jose A Rodriguez1, Lin Jiang2, David S Eisenberg3
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095.
Abstract:
In this review, we detail our current knowledge of PrPSc structure on the basis of structural and computational studies. We discuss the progress toward an atomic resolution description of PrPSc and results from the broader field of amyloid studies that may further inform our knowledge of this structure. Moreover, we summarize work that investigates the role of PrPSc structure in its toxicity, transmissibility, and species specificity. We look forward to an atomic model of PrPSc, which is expected to bring diagnostics and/or therapeutics to the field of prion disease.
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